This invention relates in general to robotic systems and in particular to a semi-autonomous multi-use robot system and a method for cost effective operation of the system within an enclosed space.
Aircraft integral fuel tanks are internally coated to prevent corrosion, and operational aircraft are flying with tank coatings that are as much as 40 years old. Coating degradation, including peeling, swelling, puckering, and blistering, has been observed in some tanks. To prevent fuel system clogging and damage from dislodged paint chips and corrosion products, tank coatings must be examined, assessed, and repaired or replaced as they age.
Existing tank inspection, cleaning, stripping, and recoating techniques are predominantly manual and are not easily automated using existing industrial robotic technologies due to the lack of accurate, structured knowledge of the environment, which is especially true of legacy systems. This is because the use of modern industrial robots to perform maintenance on legacy systems is typically not cost-effective because the geometric data required to define a structured environment is typically not available. For example, military aircraft produced in the 1960s were designed on a drawing board and therefore no electronic technical data of the structure exists. Even if the data did exist, current industrial robots rely on accurate and fixed tooling for location and a scripted software plan for the motion of the robot. Because no two locations are alike, a scripted software plan would be required for each separate work location. Furthermore, manual tank inspections are more expensive because they are labor intensive and less efficient due to the limited access for personnel to enter and maneuver within the tank. The confined space also creates human factors issues, including stringent safety requirements for personnel entering and working in the tanks. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an alternative to the use of maintenance personnel within aircraft fuel tanks to carry out these duties, such as industrial robot technology.